For all dots enthusiasts, here are two puzzles:

1. http://www.trmph.com/dnb/board#5,b9d9e8f7h7a6c6d5e4e2f5h5j5h3i2j1a4b3d1

p2 to move and win.

2. http://www.trmph.com/dnb/board#5,f11b9d9f9h9j9a8e8h7c6e6k6b5f5h5j5e4i4b3c2e2f1

p1 to move and win.

Nothing too spectacular, but feel free to enjoy them. :)

I think I am missing something in puzzle 2. A1 seems winning to me.

i mean b11

What would you then do after i10? I guess get your second chain of four boxes…
But what is 4+6-chain of left bottom corner?
Is it enough against a quad + 6-loop?

Variation on problem 1: http://www.trmph.com/dnb/board#5,b9d9e8f7h7c6d5e4e2d1a4b3f5h5j5h3i2j1e10f11 p1 to move and win.

Your variation is meant to be an independent puzzle? For me it seems like many moves are winning, for example 21.k6.

@Christian: Yes, what would you do after i10?

yeah you are right, it doesn't work. Silly me :)

I am guessing it somehow involes move in the unfinished quad since that seems like a fun thing to do :)

@diego, yes that was the move I had in mind, but I'm not sure about other winning moves. It seemed to me more interesting that the parity could not be resolved on next move like in your puzzle…

Woah Diego, that's one nice shape in your first puzzle. The second one is even more unique… never seen that before. I find it rather easy to solve though. o.o

@Carroll:

I count a total of 8 winning moves, variations being:

(k6)http://www.trmph.com/dnb/board#5,b9d9e8f7h7c6d5e4e2d1a4b3f5h5j5h3i2j1e10f11k6i8k8i10j11b11a2h11c10d11a10b7g4f3i4j3k4k2g2h1f1g10g8h9f9a6b5c4d3b1c2a8c8d7e6g6i6j7j9k10
(k8)http://www.trmph.com/dnb/board#5,b9d9e8f7h7c6d5e4e2d1a4b3f5h5j5h3i2j1e10f11k8j7h11i10b11j11a2j9k10i8c10d11a10b7g4f3i4j3k4k2g2h1f1g10g8h9f9a6b5c4d3b1c2a8c8d7e6g6i6k6
(i8)http://www.trmph.com/dnb/board#5,b9d9e8f7h7c6d5e4e2d1a4b3f5h5j5h3i2j1e10f11i8j9k6b11h11a2j11i10k10c10d11a10b7g4f3i4j3k4k2g2h1f1g10g8h9f9a6b5c4d3b1c2a8c8d7e6g6i6j7k8
(i10)http://www.trmph.com/dnb/board#5,b9d9e8f7h7c6d5e4e2d1a4b3f5h5j5h3i2j1e10f11i10h11k6j11k8i8b11a2c10d11a10b7g4f3i4j3k4k2g2h1f1g10g8h9f9a6b5c4d3b1c2a8c8d7e6g6i6j7j9k10
(h11)http://www.trmph.com/dnb/board#5,b9d9e8f7h7c6d5e4e2d1a4b3f5h5j5h3i2j1e10f11h11j7i8i10a2j11b11j9k10k8c10d11a10b7g4f3i4j3k4k2g2h1f1g10g8h9f9a6b5c4d3b1c2a8c8d7e6g6i6k6
(j11)http://www.trmph.com/dnb/board#5,b9d9e8f7h7c6d5e4e2d1a4b3f5h5j5h3i2j1e10f11j11j9k6i8b11h11a2i10k10c10d11a10b7g4f3i4j3k4k2g2h1f1g10g8h9f9a6b5c4d3b1c2a8c8d7e6g6i6j7k8
(a2)http://www.trmph.com/dnb/board#5,b9d9e8f7h7c6d5e4e2d1a4b3f5h5j5h3i2j1e10f11a2i8k8i10k10h11b11k6c10d11a10b7g4f3i4j3k4k2g2h1f1g10g8h9f9a6b5c4d3b1c2a8c8d7e6g6i6j7j9j11
(b11)http://www.trmph.com/dnb/board#5,b9d9e8f7h7c6d5e4e2d1a4b3f5h5j5h3i2j1e10f11b11i8k8i10j11h11a2k6c10d11a10b7g4f3i4j3k4k2g2h1f1g10g8h9f9a6b5c4d3b1c2a8c8d7e6g6i6j7j9k10

Note that - in case of those silent moves like b11,a2 etc. - p2 should not play j7, because of this:
http://www.trmph.com/dnb/board#5,b9d9e8f7h7c6d5e4e2d1a4b3f5h5j5h3i2j1e10f11b11j7a6a2a8i10j11i8k4f3g4i4k2j3h11c10d11a10j9k10k8g2h1f1g10g8h9f9k6i6g6e6d7c8b7b5c4d3c2b1, which is 15-10 thus even more devastating.

Among the moves not giving up control immediately I can find 5 losing moves:
(c10)http://www.trmph.com/dnb/board#5,b9d9e8f7h7c6d5e4e2d1a4b3f5h5j5h3i2j1e10f11c10d11b7g4f3i4j7i8i10a2j11h11b11a10j9k10k8j3k4k2g2h1f1g10g8h9f9a6b5c4d3b1c2a8c8d7e6g6i6k6
(f9)http://www.trmph.com/dnb/board#5,b9d9e8f7h7c6d5e4e2d1a4b3f5h5j5h3i2j1e10f11f9g10g8b7g4f3i4j7h9i8j11i10h11a6b5c4c2d3b11a2b1c10a10d11j9k10k8j3k4k2g2h1f1a8c8d7e6g6i6k6
(h9,j7)http://www.trmph.com/dnb/board#5,b9d9e8f7h7c6d5e4e2d1a4b3f5h5j5h3i2j1e10f11h9j7
(j9)http://www.trmph.com/dnb/board#5,b9d9e8f7h7c6d5e4e2d1a4b3f5h5j5h3i2j1e10f11j9b7

So it seems rather hard for p1 not to win..

@Christian K:

I completely agree that this is a fun thing to do. In fact, after I found that puzzle with the unfinished quad recently, I encountered loads of applications of this, even in non-constructed actual games. However, in order to sacrifice a 3-chain successful, you need to be at least 2 boxes ahead. So will this strategy work in this case or do you need to come up with something better?

@Dryad:

Thanks a lot! Yeah, I apologize that my puzzles are quite easily solvable, however I think it's nice to know that such a position is actually possible.

20.g4 should win in the first puzzle as a second chain surprisingly can't be formed after 21.j7 if i'm not mistaken.

not giving an answer on the second puzzle as it exists for its idea rather than complexity; just a comment: nice one!

Thanks 7ics, and yes, you seem to have solved both puzzles.

Btw, this was my first (failed) attempt for the first puzzle:

http://www.trmph.com/dnb/board#5,b9d9e8f7h7a8c6d5f5h5a6e4j5e2h3i2d1.

Can you see, why p2 actually can't win in this case?

christian would prolly enjoy move 35

Grats! I'm sure he would! :p

Maybe this is the right moment to come up with this puzzle:

http://www.trmph.com/dnb/board#5,j5k4k2j1h1g2i6h7e4f3g8f9c6d5e10d11a8b7j11f11g10k10h9i8k8a4b5a6

p2 to move and win.

Aha I just got the second one :) feeling quite stupid since everyone seems to find it so easy

Well done

@diego Maybe time for a hint on third one?
What made you think of this complex central shape?

What is red answer to d1?

Well, initially I thought of something like this:

http://www.trmph.com/dnb/board#5,d9d11a8b7d7f11g10h9i8i6h5f5e6
(I am referring to an endgame consisting only of the upper left region)

It turns out that the only way to play this perfectly is to open the 3-chain first and after the doublecross to open the 5-chain. Whereas both of the sacrificed chains are in “pre-loop shape” which is thematic regarding some recent puzzles.

Then I tried to make it even more complicated, resulting in that messed position (which is of course only visually similar to the above position).

My hint is that the centre is one chain already, although not yet finished.
26.d1 is answered by 27.e2.

that's an amazing endgame; christian would explode as a result of his overwhelming happiness.

I got puzzle 3, I guess it is c2

The subtleties of the small chain play got me! Well done!

“This”:http://www.trmph.com/dnb/board#5,j5k4k2j1h1g2i6h7e4f3g8f9c6d5e10d11a8b7j11f11g10k10h9i8k8a4b5a6c2c4d3b3b11a10a2b1e2f1d1i4j3h3i2g6h5f5g4e8f7e6d7c10d9c8b9h11i10j9j7k6 is the main variation, so you got it, Carroll.

Here is mine : here diverging on 31.g4 ( why sacrifice two boxes when you can offer just one?) with then the trap of 32.g6 while 32.e6 is losing…

Sure, in such a position there are many lines to consider, including the one mentioned by you.

You are correct about 31. move and follow-up.
Sacrificing two boxes instead is also a “trap”, all subsequent moves are forced, along with a visually nice endgame.

For now I've got no more puzzles but will post as soon as I come across something interesting.